


A Fae Queen and a Vampire Lord Walk Into a Bar...

by PrincessaKyla



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Fae & Fairies, Half Selkie Tony Stark, Manners Matter, Multi, Urban Fantasy, Vampire Prince Steve Rogers, eventually a trio, fae manners, pepper is a fae queen, slow burn for pepper and steve, tea time, tony is playing matchmaker for himself
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:21:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27571444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessaKyla/pseuds/PrincessaKyla
Summary: And proceed to fight over a gorgeous half selkie. Luckily for them, he's got an end game that will end with all three living happily ever after.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25
Collections: Fall 2020 Bringing Food to the Lab Seasonal Bingo





	A Fae Queen and a Vampire Lord Walk Into a Bar...

**Author's Note:**

> I had. So much fun (and trouble) writing this! I love the trio of Pepper, Steve and Tony, and I was inspired by this post -- https://prokopetz.tumblr.com/post/184250983812/the-ultimate-power-move-in-a-vampirefairy-rivalry -- to create this! Eventually, I might add more because I have so many more ideas for these three. We shall see!
> 
> This story was written as part of the Fall 2020 Bringing Food to the Lab Seasonal Bingo, for the square "Family Drama."

Pepper stared out the window behind her desk, brooding. Her home office was far more warm, welcoming, and intricate than her work office, which she kept very minimalistic to display her strength. But this was where she preferred to be.

And it was where she most distinctly felt Tony’s absence.

Oh, he was alive and well, and she could go see him at work if she could manage to get any free time in her day lately. But ever since he had met that gods damned vampire while tangling with Loki, he was even more out of reach. She had thought they were on the road to commitment. And then that fucker ruined it.

She needed some way to try and show Tony how much better off with her he was. Tony appreciated her fae manners, as they’d saved him a lot of trouble over the years, and she had accepted him as family long ago. She loved him dearly, and he had shown her his seal skin, a sign of great trust. So she wasn’t sure how the vampire prince had managed to ensnare him out from under her nose. But she would get him back.

Pepper grinned as she had an idea, remembering the “polite” offer of tea anytime that had been given in the announcement of Steve’s arrival in office recently.

“Alexander!” she called.

Her butler stopped in the doorway. “Yes, your Majesty?”

“Prepare a tea service for this coming Tuesday. 2 pm. The vampire prince of the city, and Tony. And send me the fastest courier we have. I’ve an invitation to send.”

Steve looked at the invitation in his hand, frowning. He didn’t particularly feel like going to a meal at Queen Virginia’s, but she was an important connection, and she was important to Tony. Tony. Just the thought of the gorgeous half-selkie, who was currently asleep in Steve’s bed after a delicious evening, was enough to make him drift off into lovey dovey thoughts. It was honestly a little disgusting.

He looked at the invitation again.

“ _ Queen Virginia Potts is happy to accept your standing offer to share a tea service, and requests your presence at her court this coming Tuesday at 2 pm _ .” There was nothing about responding, but Steve knew he didn’t have the option to decline. Even if they weren’t on tenuous footing with each other, the wording was such that indicated only a fool would do anything but show up on the requested day and time. 

“Damn fae manners,” he muttered angrily.

Steve was certain he and Queen Virginia would get along just fine if not for his recent engagement. It was well known in the city that they had been expected to announce a formal courtship soon, so it had been a large surprise to Steve when Tony had begun flirting with him and responded to his advances so well as to agree when Steve proposed. Perhaps the city had it wrong, he’d thought. He was starting to question it, again, though. Whatever their relationship, it was very clear they were close, and this would be a tense meeting that was likely to be accompanied by threats and attempts to prove he wasn’t good enough for Tony.

An elegant hand took the invitation from his hand eagerly, and he looked up to see Tony, practically vibrating. “Pepper invited us to tea!” He looked at Steve, so happy to receive the invite. “I can’t wait!”

Steve smiled at him, deciding not to tell Tony  _ why _ Pepper was inviting them. “I knew you would be. I was planning to tell you as soon as you woke up but you beat me to it.”

“Oh it’ll be so nice to see her and for you two to formally meet and it’s gonna be great!”

“I’m sure it will be wonderful,” Steve agreed.

And that’s how, the following Tuesday, at 2 pm, he found himself stepping out of his Alfa Romeo 6c 2500 in the front drive of Queen Virginia’s large Hamptons home. He would have preferred to bring one of his bikes, but it wouldn’t do to show up to tea windblown and mildly sunburned. As it was, he was very glad for his very dark sunglasses as the sunlight glinted off of the silver finish and windshield. Most of his skin was covered up by a well tailored navy three piece suit and a crisp white shirt with a red tie, as well as his driving gloves. He stepped around the car to open Tony’s door, offering him a hand to help him out. Tony had settled on a stunning beige suit, looking dapper with a straw boater hat. Steve had rolled his eyes affectionately at the choice. Only Tony could pull off such a look.

They made their way to the door and rang the bell, an elegant pull cord that elicited a sound like church bells. When the door opened, a refined butler, wearing traditional tails, welcomed them inside. “Her Majesty will be pleased to know you have arrived safely. Please, come in.”

Tony stepped in first, with Steve close behind, one hand on the small of his lover’s back. Once the door shut behind them, he removed his sunglasses and gloves, tucking them into his suit breast pocket as Tony removed his hat. “This way, please,” the butler said. “Tea will be served in the sitting room.” He led the way, through the foyer and into the grand hallway, stopping in the doorway and waving them through. “Prince Steven Rogers, Viscount of Brooklyn, and his betrothed, Anthony Stark, your Majesty.”

Pepper smiled, standing to greet them. “Gentlemen, how good to see you.”

“Pepper!” Tony said excitedly. “You look amazing. I’m so happy to see you!” He immediately went in for a hug, holding her close affectionately. “I’ve missed you.”

She held him tight for a moment. “I’ve missed you, too.” She smiled at him and then turned to Steve. “Your Highness, it is a pleasure to see you.” 

“It is a pleasure to see you as well, Your Majesty.” A thin, steely politesse braced his voice, and he was not at all surprised to hear even more steel in her voice. This would be a tea to remember.

Twenty minutes in, and the two warring parties had reached an temporary impasse. Steve had yet to take any tea or treats, Pepper very carefully minded his titles and honorifics. When she had offered a drink, Steve had declined with a polite acknowledgement of his gratitude (but not “Thank you,”  _ never _ that indication of obligation) and made a polite joke about her neck looking ever so lovely with the framing of her jewelry and hair. And then they had devolved into polite small talk. Thankfully, they had Tony. Tony had dived right in and was now excitedly carrying the conversation, going on about how things were going at work from his perspective. Pepper knew most everything, of course, but she loved listening to Tony talk about his work and his development process. Steve did too, and it made the afternoon a little bit more bearable. Tony seemed oblivious to the tension between the two of them, which Steve was grateful for.

And then, the truce broke, again. “Are you certain there’s nothing I can get for you, Steve?”

His smile maybe showed too many teeth, fangs bared in a slight threat. “Oh no, that’s quite alright, though the offer is appreciated. Mortal food doesn’t always sit very well with me.” It wasn’t a total lie, or the total truth, just as the butler hadn’t given her his full name, not that many people knew that anyway. Just within the realm of good manners with the fae.

Pepper bristled. This gods damned vampire. First taking her man, and now skirting the edge of good manners in a way that kept her from declaring him a bad guest? If not for Tony clearly loving him, she would be fighting to rip him to shreds. Someone needed to teach this...golden, handsome...she shook herself internally. She couldn’t go finding herself attracted to her rival. It wouldn’t befit a fae of her station to go forging such bonds with a vampire elected official. “Well, how unfortunate. It seems my hospitality is lacking,” she said, eyes narrowing some.

Steve stiffened. “Oh no, your hospitality is quite adequate. I simply wish to not be rude by potentially becoming ill if something were to sit ill with me.”

Tony looked mildly confused. “This has to be the best family affair I’ve ever been to,” he said casually.

The two warring parties felt like candles that had been doused with buckets of water.

Their eyes met and they silently agreed to a truce for Tony. It was very obvious to both of them that the other would never relinquish their claim to the gorgeous man, and it would be better for him if they could manage to get along. Steve wouldn’t eat anything, but Pepper wouldn’t get offended at his desire to not be anymore beholden to her than he was for her agreeing to share Tony. She couldn’t -- or perhaps wouldn’t? -- ever call in that favor, as he was too important to her to treat that way. But they would just...not discuss it.

Tony sipped his tea and looked between the two beauties with him in the sitting room. Elegant blinds dimmed the sunlight enough to make it more comfortable for Steve to sit, and the gentle light highlighted the dust motes dancing in the air but also the golden tones in both of their hair. His carefully worded, well timed comment about “family affairs” had done exactly what he had hoped. Their silent, metaphorical measuring contest had ended, and they were, if not getting along, then at least being actually polite rather than veiled barbs poking at defenses. He wasn’t sure if he was offended or flattered that they were fighting over him -- there was a case to be made either way, if he was honest -- but he needed time to think. 

He wouldn’t be choosing between the two of them.

If anyone really knew the two of them, it was Tony. And they would be very good together and for each other if they could just get past the artificial enmity they’d built themselves. The first step in getting them together to ensure his own happiness with the two of them had gone off almost without a hitch. Pepper had taken a little bit longer than expected to give in to her jealousy, and Steve had been a bit too restrained in his responses to her hostility, but it had all worked out anyway. Now he just had to get them to start knowing each other.

“We really should do this regularly,” he suggested.

“I would hate to intrude on Her Majesty so regularly,” Steve said, without any heat to it.

“It would be no trouble,” she said, genuinely. “I enjoy company.”

Steve was clearly fighting to maintain manners.

So Tony offered him an out. “What if we traded off? One week here, one week at your place, one week at my place. Simple enough, and we can vary the scenery and the the food much easier than one person trying to do it all.”

“That sounds nice,” Pepper offered.

Steve nodded. “I can agree to that.”

“Great!” Tony said. “I’m really glad you two like each other. Both of you are family to me. I’m glad it’s as smooth as I hoped it would be.” He sat back and sipped his tea, making note of their barely concealed concern.

He could make this work.


End file.
